Annual Report 2020 by CHATA

2020 Annual Report

Investing in our People...

Mission

“To deliver a visible, leading and effective (marketing) contribution towards a vibrant and sustainable Curaçao tourism/hospitality product.”

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INTRODUCTION A small summary of CHATA of the past years.

TOURISM PERFORMANCE 2020 figures summarized.

CORE BUSINESS Take a look at CHATA’s core business.

CHATA BOARD Get to know the CHATA board and it’s role.

CHATA TEAM Meet the faces behind CHATA 2020.

STARS OF THE INDUSTRY A look back at our stars of the industry.

CHATA ACHIEVEMENTS An overview of CHATA’s achievements in 2020.

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS Developments of the Tourism Industry in 2020.

CHATA MEMBERSHIP The top 5 reasons to become a member.

CHATA MEMBERS

FINANCIAL UPDATE

An overview of the new CHATA 2020.

CHATA’s Financial Statement and Audit Report.

2021 OUTLOOK CHATA’s Outlook for the year 2021.

introduction The tourism industry is one of the most volatile economic pillars of Curaçao that every year finds itself going through challenges and changes. The year 2020 was no exception. In fact, it will go down in history as one of the most challenging years for local and global tourism. Nonetheless, stakeholders in Curaçao and the rest of the Kingdom of the Netherlands managed to come together in order to mitigate the loss for the industry caused by COVID-19. In 2020, the world was abruptly hit by COVID-19. Many people all around the globe were showing symptoms, ending up in hospitals, and putting both healthy and vulnerable people in critical condition. Several companies were forced to close their doors and others would close their business temporarily as the unemployment rate grew exponentially. Everyone was instructed to stay home in order to minimize the damage of the infectious virus which resulted in hardship for many individuals. Despite these challenges, as an association together with our partners we have been able to make strides to move forward on the road to recovery. We were compelled to be creative with our members and our partners, to make up for the loss we have experienced throughout the year. Aside from being creative, one of the main achievements of 2020 was the CTA recommendation report being approved by the Council of Ministers and having the structure of the board and by-laws discussed in order to move forward. These achievements have been a joint effort of multiple partners such as Curaçao Airport Partners, Curaçao Tourist Board and the Government of Curaçao. In spite of the discomfort that 2020 brought upon Curaçao, renovations and projects within the hospitality and tourism sector continued as tourism will bounce back sooner or later. In order to ensure sustained growth in the industry and jump start our economy we need structural change on all levels of the community; private sector and government. We need increased awareness on the importance of tourism and the collective responsibility we have as a community to develop the sector. With all that has happened in 2020, now more than ever, it is clear that collaboration is essential in order to achieve ultimate recovery.

tourism performance Tourism Arrivals

In 2020, Curaçao experienced a drastic decrease in visitor arrivals and visitor nights. As a result of global efforts to tame COVID-19 by implementing measures and travel restrictions, the destination struggled to match the performance recorded in 2019. The total arrival number of 2020 is mainly subscribed to the arrangements achieved with the government of our main market, the Netherlands. CTB reported a decrease of 62% stayover arrivals. In total 174,871 stayover visitors travelled to Curaçao. In 2019, we welcomed 463,683 stayover visitors during this same period. Altogether, Curaçao welcomed 436,242 tourist arrivals during the year of 2020. The Curaçao Ports Authority recorded 256,033 cruise arrivals, while the Curaçao Tourist Board registered 174,871 stayover visitors who spent 1.75 million nights in Curaçao. On average the stayover visitors spent 10 nights per person in 2020.

Hotel Performance

The average Hotel Occupancy in 2020 in Curaçao was 34.2%, which is a significant decrease of 52.6% compared to the average hotel occupancy in 2019 (72.1%). The Average Daily Rates for 2020 was $135.31, which decreased with 14.8% in comparison to the average ADR in 2019, $158,90. The average Revenue Per Available Room for 2020 was $54.13, whereas in 2019 it was $114,56, experiencing a decrease of 52.7%

Average Hotel Occupancy: 34.2% Average Daily Rate: $135.31 Revenue Per Available Room: $54.13

Core Business Destination & Product Marketing

To ensure that Curaçao and its products are adequately promoted by influencing the marketing strategy set by CTB through active collaboration between CHATA and CTB. Additionally, to pro-actively initiate marketing activities for the sector.

Air Service – Retention & Growth

CHATA to secure growth in airlift for the North American, European and South American Market by working closely with all existing airlines and actively search for new carriers together with CTB, Curaçao Airport Partners and Curaçao Airport Holding.

Product & Human Resources Development

Create value for all members by providing a platform for collaboration and innovation within the sector. Supporting growth and product development of members by being a source of quality industry information and analysis. Support all Safety & Security efforts and cleanliness projects. Identify industry educational and training needs and set a strategy together with members to cope with the current needs.

Advocacy & Lobbying on behalf of the Sector

Working together is a must, on all fronts. CHATA to actively remind government, CTB and others on the importance of aligning our efforts and jointly invest in the markets. In addition to this, CHATA also makes sure that important issues that affect the tourism industry are addressed by the government and relevant stakeholders.

Communication (Voice of the Sector)

CHATA to increase its visibility and recognition as the tourism expert by becoming more vocal and active. CHATA is a dynamic association and incorporates its dynamics into its membership benefits. CHATA communicates latest developments that are beneficial information or can affect CHATA Members in any way through several mediums. CHATA communicates through its monthly Newsletter, frequent Newsflashes, Alerts on situations requiring precautions, and annual Hurricane Preparedness Kit. CHATA also focuses on keeping members informed on latest trends. CHATA gives members the opportunity to showcase their product through the quarterly Product Update. These mediums serve to keep our members informed through digital communication.CHATA also has numerous interactions with its members to accentuate the benefits of a CHATA membership. CHATA organizes a minimum of 3 Membership Meetings and Marketing Task Force meetings annually, in which members can express their concerns, provide feedback and brainstorm together with CHATA and the Curaçao Tourist Board on potential solutions to points of attention. In addition to the Membership meetings and Marketing Task Forces, CHATA also gathers key influencers in many of its Breakfast Meetings and Lab Sessions, in which subjects of importance to the sector are discussed in depth with key private and public-sector partners. In order to tackle challenges, CHATA has several Task Forces in place acting as troubleshooters that advocate points of particular interest. CHATA also realizes that members require attention individually, and therefore regularly schedules CHATA Meets sessions, where the CEO of CHATA meets one on one with its members to provide a keen and listening ear to member concerns, while jointly brainstorming and, if necessary, working towards a solution. 7

chata board Hans Slier - Chairman Papagayo Curaçao

Maylin Trenidad - Secretary Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino

Jerry van Gijn Maduro & Curiels Bank N.V.

Peggy Croes Curaçao Airport Partners

Liselotte Bos Oasis Coral Estate Curaçao

Miles Mercera- President & CEO CHATA Resigned in 2020

Omar van der Dijs - Vice Chairman Licores Maduro

Robbin Vogels - Treasurer Avila Beach Hotel

Alette Borger Dolphin Suites Curaçao

Rob de Bekker Santa Barbara Beach Resort

Ricardo Esteban Sunscape Beach Curaçao Resort, Spa & Casino Resigned in 2020

Mark Nooren Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort

Frank Holtslag Floris Suite Hotel Resigned in 2020

In 2020 the CHATA Board met 22 times.

role of the board CHATA’s Board currently consists of 11 fiduciaries representing 11 parties holding a CHATA membership. Board members are competent representatives of the CHATA members and are elected every 2 years to ensure that CHATA members are provided equal opportunity to have supervision and say in CHATA operations. Board members vacate their positions by rotation of 2 years, the current Board of Directors consists of a group of Board members that have been elected in 2020.

CHATA’s board, in conjunction with CHATA’s President & CEO, steer the association towards success by ensuring proper governance and by adopting and ensuring adherence to financial management policies. CHATA’s board has a dual mandate;The Board provides advice, guidance and moreover functions as a supervisory entity monitoring the association’s performance, enacting upon points of attention should this be required.

As we are progressing into the 21st century, CHATA has understood and wholeheartedly embraced the good governance principle. The Board of Directors ensures that CHATA embraces good governance in its day-to-day operations by ensuring accountability, transparency and equitability. 9

chata team Maria-Helena Seferina-Rojas Managing Director

Selina Maduro-Gumbs Events & Operations Manager

Jihan Hammoud Partnership & Communications Senior Executive Crystal Willems Research & Education Executive

Gedion Verkerk Communications Executive

In 2020 CHATA bid farewell to Miles Mercera after 10 years of great service to the association. CHATA is very grateful for the decade of contribution and investment of Miles and wishes him the best of luck in his future aspirations.

CHATA Interns & Trainee 2020

Rogino Vos – Graduate Intern Kennely Apostel – Marketing & Events Intern Roos Kragt – Marketing & Events Intern Ghislaine Doran – Marketing & Events Intern Jurnick Merced – Marketing & Events Intern 10

Miles Mercera President & CEO Resigned in 2020

stars of the industry

Zest Mediterranean

STARS OF THE INDUSTRY Q1 & Q2 2020

stars of the industry Blue Bay Restaurant

STARS OF THE INDUSTRY Q3 2020

Papagayo Beach Club

STARS OF THE INDUSTRY Q4 2020

2020 achievements Charlwin “Broertje” Marshall

In July 2020, CHATA organized the second Charlwin “Broertje” Marshall culinary cooking competition. Together with OWCS and CTB, the competition granted the opportunity for local junior and senior chefs to showcase their culinary skills. The competition had monetary prizes available for the winner, however the competition also resulted in the winning chef earning a spot on the Curaçao Culinary Team.

CHATA Webinars

Starting in April 2020, CHATA provided almost daily webinars for the first two months of lockdown and gradually continued to provide informative webinar weeks for CHATA members and the public. The purpose of these webinars was to give members and non-members the opportunity to enhance their skills or to educate them on several different topics, while CHATA Members showcased their specialties. The webinars varied from serious discussions about the economic recovery, HR law and cyber security, to informative sessions including airlift, leadership workshops and CTB updates to more entertaining sessions such as cocktail, cooking and farming workshops.

Level Playing Field

The ultimate goal for this project was to have all accommodations in Curaçao equally contribute to the economy by paying taxes. The project started in August 2019 when the ‘Turi’ project was launched by the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO), the Ministry of Administration, Planning and Service Rendering (BPD), CHATA and CTB. Specifically, the purpose of ‘Turi’ was to create a better quantitative and qualitative overview of the local accommodations as well as to create an inclusive public registry. Lastly, the project should have been the beginning of a databank formation which eventually would contribute to i.a. the formulation of policy for the sector and an economic analysis of the sector. In February 2020, the former Minister of Economic Development, Ms. Mc William, shared that it was important for the government to have this law in place, as a fair contribution is expected from everyone in the tourism industry. She continued to inform that the preparations were in place and the documents were being processed. CHATA will continue pressing on this matter to be resolved in 2021 as this could contribute to the island’s economic development and the tourism industry.

InCuraçao - CHATA In Room Magazine

The 2020 edition of the CHATA in-room Magazine and visitors guide, InCuraçao was launched in February 2020. In this edition, the focus was sharing our local secrets and cultures. The InCuraçao magazine showcases different experiences and things to do on the island based on 6 travel types namely, Crazy Spirit (Adventure), Cultural Explorer, No Hassle Traveler, Gentle Explorer (Luxury), Solo Traveler and Foodie. 13

The InCuraçao magazine is available in all CHATA Accommodations. A special thanks to Fortress Interactive for making the InCuraçao Magazine a reality.

Annual General Member Meeting

On March 30, 2020, CHATA held its first ever virtual Annual General Member Meeting. During this meeting the members had the opportunity to elect the new board for 2020-2021. Furthermore, the agenda included a quick update from former CHATA President & CEO, Miles Mercera, where he highlighted the biggest challenge that is threatening to jeopardize the future growth of the tourism industry; COVID-19. CHATA Chairman of the board, Hans Slier, also gave a brief presentation on the outlook for 2020 and the actions that must be taken to grow stronger together.

Curaçao Tourism Authority (CTA)

The Curaçao Tourism Development Foundation (CTDF) and the CTDF Advisory board finalized a timeline and plan of action to transform the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) into a new authority. The new authority should have an independent status, a board formed by the private and public sector and it should become self-sustainable within 3 years. This new structure will be the solution for funding, performance and leadership challenges it faces today as the Authority will be able to operate independent of political and government influences. Towards the end of January 2020, the former Minister of Economic Development, Mrs. Giselle Mc William received the recommendations report from the committee of ‘Advies Commissie Curaçao Tourism Authority’ and the report has been approved by the Council of Ministers. Mid-January of 2021, the Ministry of Economic Development, Curaçao Tourism Board, Chamber of Commerce and CHATA sat together to discuss the structure of the board and the CTA’s by-laws in order to move forward with the implementation.

Kla Pa Turismo Launch

In November 2019, CHATA collaborated with the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO) and the Ministry of Social Development, Labour and Welfare (SOAW) by introducing the project “Kla pa Turismo”. This project is part of the Growth Strategy for Curaçao and gives the opportunity to 300 citizens to obtain adequate training and job security in the tourism industry. The first groups started their theoretical courses in January 2020, where they were taught the basic learning techniques before venturing into the learning companies. The Kitchen Assistants were made up of 24 participants, the Service Assistants had a group of 12 participants and the Housekeeping group formed a group of 15 participants. 14

In February 2020 they started the practical part of their training program at the learning companies, such as, Chogogo Resort, Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, Corendon Mangrove Beach Resort Curacao, Papagayo Curaçao, Hemingway Restaurant, Nemo Restaurant, Piazza Restaurant, Chill Beach Bar & Grill, Restaurant & Café Governor De Rouville, Kura Hulanda Lodge & Beach Club, Morena Resort Curacao, Oasis Coral Estate Beach, Dive & Wellness Resort, AM Resort, Baoase Luxury Resort and Securitas. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project had to be put on hold until further notice.

Edukami Episode

In 2020, CHATA sponsored an episode of ‘Edukami’; a local educational television program for children. The purpose of the episode was to raise awareness for tourism on our island. It was filmed in Curaçao at one of CHATA’s members, the Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort and it was aired on TV Direct channel 13 on November 2020.

CHATA’s Product Update Report

Each quarter, CHATA identified key insights on all noteworthy updates from all CHATA members and compiled these in its quarterly Product Update Report that is shared with tour operators, travel agents, PR agencies and other key stakeholders. In 2020, CHATA has released two editions of the Product Update Report, including the ‘Back to Business’ edition and the ‘Holiday 2020’ edition.

Curaçao Culinary Team Drive-Thru BBQ Fundraiser

In efforts to raise funds for the Curaçao Culinary Team, the team hosted their first ever drive-thru BBQ fundraiser event. The team eagerly prepared to-go boxes during the event and visitors got a glance of the young chefs in action, highlighting their culinary skills. The drive-thru went swiftly as the team worked together to provide a delicious meal.

Stars of the Industry

CHATA continued to recognize its employees and supervisors during the challenging year. In 2020, CHATA had the pleasure of awarding 86 employees with a Stars of the Industry Awards. A special thanks goes out to all the sponsors of the event. For those who sponsored the location: Zest Mediterranean and Blue Bay Golf & Beach Resort. Also, for those which provided the nominees with a small token of appreciation for their hard work and dedication for the industry. 2020 Sponsors: Fun Miles, United Distributors, J.L. Penha, CurAloe, Bottles Curaçao, Coca Cola, Guardian Group and Landhuis Chobolobo.

CHATA Trainings & Workshop

In its efforts to increase the customer service in the tourism sector, the CHATA Academy provided customer service training courses to different professionals in Curaçao. Through these courses CHATA wants to equip professionals with the necessary tools to provide a better experience to not only our visitors, but also the locals. Therefore, the Curaçao Medical Center approached CHATA for Customer Service Training in August 2020. The 4 groups started their training in November 2020 where a total of 70 participants will be following the course.

CHATA Launches Two Silent Auctions

In an effort to raise funds to be able to continue to contribute to the development of Curaçao’s tourism industry, CHATA organized its annual Silent Auction in November 2020 titled ‘The Black Friday Silent Auction 2020’. The CHATA Silent auction is one of the many fundraising events CHATA organizes throughout the year. During the Silent Auction the local community had the opportunity to bid on various auction items ranging from hotel accommodations, to activities generously provided by CHATA members. In 2020, however, CHATA made it more interesting for bidders and incorporated another Silent Auction titled the ‘Holiday Edition’. The funds raised through the Silent Auction are invested in tourism development projects such as tourism awareness campaigns, human capital development and promotion of the destination.

Member Meeting

In 2020, CHATA held several Member Meetings to provide its members with an update of the industry. Often CHATA also invites keynote speakers to elaborate on trending topics affecting the industry. This year, as COVID-19 was the main effect on tourism, CHATA selected keynote speakers based on specific topics such as tourism recovery, opportunities to increase the impact of tourism on our local economy and the relationship between Curaçao and the Netherlands.

CHATA Task Forces

CHATA has many taskforces that focus on the development of specific areas within the tourism sector. These include the Dive Task Force, HR Task Force, Attractions Task Force, Culture, Heritage and Arts Task Force, Wellness Task Force, Sustainability Task Force, Safety & Security Task Force, Luxury Task Force, Restaurant & Beach Club Task Force and Restaurant Task Force. Please find below an update on some of the accomplishments of our task forces in 2020.

Dive Task Force

The dive task force consists of 15 dive members that work together to further promote Curaçao as a dive destination. Furthermore, they also advocate for the protection and restauration of our coral reefs and protection of our dive sites from marine debris. In 2020, the task force has set up monthly clean up events to further protect the marine life and maintaining the environment as a safe and healthy one. Furthermore, the Curaçao Dive Festival week took place from September 27 until October 3, which included clean up events, lionfish tournaments, lionfish hunt, underwater art sessions, underwater pineapple carving and underwater photo contests.

Attractions Task Force

The Attractions Task Force focuses on the promotion of the on-island activities. In 2020, the held several campaigns, their first one being a summer campaign titled ‘Kòrsou ta Dushi Staycation Special’ which included a voucher at Sambil Shopping Mall to the raffle winner. Another small campaign was done for Children’s day and lastly a ‘Capture Your Holiday Moments’ campaign was held towards the end of 2020 with a winning voucher at Van Den Tweel Supermarket.

Sustainability Task Force

The Sustainability Task Force was reestablished in the first half of 2019. The aim of the task force is to bring awareness to our members in the tourism industry regarding different ways to be sustainable and to adapt to sustainable practices. In 2020, several presentations were given by the task force, such as that at the Sustainable Development Goals Action Week in September-October.

HR Task Force

In 2020, the HR Task Force was dedicated to focusing on the employee status post COVID-19 breakout. During the meetings, the members had a chance to express their concerns and challenges in regard to their employees, as well as what was done to maintain the positive spirits in the workplace. A presentation was also given to the task force, which discussed occupational health and safety, and how to deal with it internally.

Restaurant & Beach Club Task Force

The Restaurant & Beach Club Task Force was created in 2020 to maintain inclusion within CHATA. The purpose of the task force is to continuously promote more sustainable practices within the restaurants, beach clubs, bars, event promoters, cafés, and nightclubs, as well as the hospitality and tourism sector. Aside from the task force’s main objectives, it has also been set up with the intention to develop collaboration between CHATA and the Curaçao Restaurant Association (CRA).

industry developments Airlift

The airlift development started positively in 2020 when it introduced a local airline, JetAir, to the market with flights to and from St. Maarten. As COVID-19 spread around the world, Curaçao went on an island-wide lockdown and closed the airport for several months. In July of 2020, KLM and TUI started flying back to Curaçao from the Netherlands and as the travel restrictions were eased, the other airlines were welcomed back to Curaçao. Aside from the Caribbean region, Divi Divi Airlines, EZAir, JetAir and WinAir, KLM was offering daily flights and TUI offering flights twice a week. The North American market quickly followed with American Airlines flying five times a week to Miami and United Airlines continuing their service once a week to and from Newark. Towards the end of 2020, Avianca, Wingo and Copa started their services with a frequency of twice a week.

CHATA MEMBERSHIP 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

TRANSPARENCY

We engage in frequent dialogues with our members to inform them of our actions and to remain up to date on their concerns.

LEADERSHIP

We are recognized as the voice of the industry. We develop innovative plans of action that set the tone within the tourism industry.

EXPERTISE

Our research department provides you with up to date information, which contributes to the reliability of your trend forecasts and assists in gearing your product development in the right direction.

VIBRANCY

Our pro-active approach to challenges and opportunities within the industry enables us to provide you with accurate and timely information.

PARTNERSHIP

We promote strong Public Private Partnership with all entities, to grow our tourism industry.

chata members Membership – 200 Members and counting…

Membership is considered our bread and butter. We rely on the support of our members to be able to voice, act and create on their behalf. As we continue to grow in our membership, CHATA will have a better representation of the sector which means a stronger voice as the private sector. We are proud to be your eyes and ears, and it feels good when you have friends (members) that you can count on. CHATA Board reinforced the importance of sustainable membership growth. One of the goals for 2020 and beyond is for the association to grow and become the true representative of the private Hospitality & Tourism Sector. In 2020, 35 new members joined CHATA and 10 members canceled their membership by the end of 2020. Therefore, CHATA now counts 245 Members, whereas in 2019 CHATA had 223 Members.

Total Value in Membership income: NAF. 728,062 New members 2020 Angelica's Kitchen A heart for Nature Agrinature Aida Travel Services Analystisch Diagnotisch Centrum (A.D.C) Bluetrace Caribbean B.V. Botika Sorsaka B.V. Business Lab Group BNB Manager Curaçao Beach House Pietermaai Caribbean Group, The News Hotel Management Caribbean Tours & Activities Cas Cora Media Group B.V. Connect, Ask & Inspire Curaçao Medical Center D-Envision 20

Fun Miles Gallery Alma Blou Garoshi Platform Gracia Travel My Dream Appartments Optima BV Productive Business Solutions Push Risk Solutions Caribbean B.V. San Marco Hotel Smart Vision Consultancy The Pier Beach Inn & Suites Travelicious Universal Time Curaçao B.V. Visser Trading Curaçao

financial update CHATA continued to reap its benefits of outsourcing all financial administration tasks with the aim to increase member satisfaction by focusing on membership value. Business Lab is the partner for business administration expertise. Business Lab has been in charge of CHATA’s daily administrative and financial tasks with a strong focus on Membership Billing & Processing. CHATA’s finance saw an decrease in membership dues of 4%. General expenses remained well within budget. CHATA booked a negative result of NAF 161,780 for 2020.

Accounts Receivables & Cash Flow

The year 2020 ended with an accounts receivable balance of NAF 360,741.

Audit by Grant Thornton

Audit took place in November 2020 and February 2021, with a focus on a true and fair view of the financial position of CHATA. The audit included an analysis of CHATA’s financial performance and cash flows for the year. Audit was conducted in accordance with the International Standards on Auditing.

outlook 2021 Outlook 2021

With the chaos of the unchartered territory behind us, we are on our way to economic recovery and finding new ways to continue the growth and development of the tourism industry. The outlook on 2021 is an uncertain one, however, CHATA remains positive as many goals are still in the pipeline to be achieved for the association. Similar to what happened in 2020, world events and decisions that could have an impact on Curaçao’s tourism industry remain possible in 2021. As a result of a full lockdown throughout the first half of 2020, Curaçao as a destination experienced a sudden drop in arrivals. Regardless of the gradual lifting of travel restrictions that was initiated in the summer of 2020, the implications of COVID-19 in regard to airlift from main markets such as Europe, North America and South America will not disappear as quickly as we have hoped. With the repercussions of COVID-19 still visible, our outlook for 2021 is rather unpredictable at this time, however, while we are constantly monitoring the developments of the Coronavirus, CHATA will continue to aid the industry with information and opportunities. For the year 2021, CHATA has three essential wishes. One of the three wishes is for CTB become the CTA, Curaçao Tourism Authority. This is a project that has been on the table for 10 years with approval from all stakeholders and for that reason CHATA proposes to appoint the new board according to the CTA model. The CTA model is based on the principle that half of the board is appointed by the government and the other half by CHATA and to jointly elect an independent chairman. Another wish is to immediately introduce and enforce the ‘Level playing field’ legislation. This legislation ensures that the alternative tourist accommodations are all registered, meet the quality requirements and pay taxes. Lastly, the third wish Mr. Slier communicated was ‘fixed cost support’ for the affected business community. Since this is a very complicated topic that differs per company, CHATA proposed to subsidize the costs of Aqualectra for 50% from 1 April 2020 instead. The costs of Aqualectra form a very important part of the costs of hotel operations and are at least two to five times as expensive as in surrounding islands and countries. We will continue to work closely with the government to ensure that our island is safe and secure for the tourists to relax when they come for vacation. Therefore, one of CHATA’s main goals for 2021 is to aid the industry in recovering from the aftermath of COVID-19 and to find cost effective ways to invest in the development of our human capital in partnership with our members, government and key stakeholders within the sector. We have to prepare ourselves to address any situation that could fall upon us. We understand what drives performance and now we must seek new opportunities and carry them out through innovative ways.

outlook 2021 Furthermore, CHATA will continue to focus its efforts on: • • • •

Achieving higher ADR/REVPAR by increasing demand for the destination through marketing and improvement of our product. Increase arrivals with growth in Airlift primarily from North America and secondly from South America. (While maintaining our current Air Service in Europe) Investing in our people to amplify visitor’s experience Increase collaboration with CTB and government officials on areas affecting tourism

However, CHATA cannot accomplish these objectives alone. It is for that reason that you, as a member, our community and government officials, are urged to align yourselves behind our mission to grow the sector sustainably and securely, and take on the collective responsibility to invest in the development and growth of the industry and boost our economy.